S.J. woman kidnapped for exorcism

Ex, son arrested after forcing her to undergo ritual

STOCKTON - Two men were arrested after a woman was kidnapped by her ex-husband and son Saturday morning because they believed she was possessed by demons and needed to undergo an exorcism, authorities said.

STOCKTON - Two men were arrested after a woman was kidnapped by her ex-husband and son Saturday morning because they believed she was possessed by demons and needed to undergo an exorcism, authorities said.

San Joaquin County Sheriff's deputies were called to a residence near the 5000 block of Highway 99 about 10:40 a.m. when a woman reported that her 40-year-old roommate had been kidnapped, officials said. Deputies learned the woman had been forcibly removed from her residence by Jose Magana-Farias, 42, her ex-husband, and their son, 20-year-old Victor Farias.

"Apparently they thought she was possessed because her attitude and everything about her changed, so they wanted to get her un-possessed," Lt. James Cannon said. "They took her to another location and attempted to perform some type of religious ritual. She was later found to be OK, but of course she wasn't very happy with their actions. It's kind of strange - something you don't hear about every day."

Deputies located Magana-Farias and Farias about 3:45 p.m. in the 1700 block of South Harrison Street, Cannon said. Both were arrested on suspicion of kidnapping, false imprisonment by violence and conspiracy to commit a crime, authorities said. They are being held at San Joaquin County Jail in lieu of $535,000 bail.